In the past few weeks, California has experienced a series of rain storms, which has brought much needed precipitation to our dry (and thirsty!) state after years of drought. Here in Alexander Valley, the rainfall has been consistent with about one inch per day – some days heavier and some days lighter. Here is an interview with Winemaker Parke Hafner and Vineyard Manager Dave Huebel with their perspectives on the impact of the rain on our vineyards and ranch.
What does the expert see?! I took the below photo of a recently formed grape cluster on June 7. While I see beautiful lush green leaves and the excitement of a potential harvest, we wanted to know what vineyard manager, David Huebel, sees when he looks at the photo. He shares the first 5 things that he notices in the picture.
We are constantly reminded that farming has us at the will of Mother Nature and this year is no different. We thought it would be interesting to take you out into the vineyard and share with you what is happening now. Just a hint… we are anticipating early bud burst, one of the earliest I’ve ever seen, which means we are busy being strategic about pruning and mowing. I hope you enjoy this video.
In farming, we generally have a plan, but that is often dictated by weather. That was certainly the case last week as we started seeding our cover crop. We've been in a drought and were pleased to see the forecast for rain. However, that meant consolidating five days worth of work into hopefully two! This type of situation is one I thrive in. For me, work is a lifestyle and farming is about dedication, determination and focus. We knew what needed to be done and we did our best. We hope you enjoy reading about our two days of race against the rain and a wonderful surprise of dinner delivery on the tractor.
Harvest is quickly approaching! Harvest is the culmination of a year's hard work for the vineyard team. I had the opportunity to sit down with Vineyard Manager David Huebel last week to check in about how the vineyard is progressing and what he anticipates this vintage will be like. He shared his thoughts on the drought, the fruit quality for 2021, when he thinks Harvest might start and much more.
